1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to compact light-weight electronic actuator means mountable on the outside of an ordinary wall switch and operable to permit touch-operated timed automatic actuation of the wall switch's actuating lever.
2. Elements of Prior Art
A variety of means for actuating a load from a wall switch have been described in prior art, where they are often referred to as wall switch timers. Examples of such wall switch actuators or timers are described in various U.S. Patents, such as in: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,179,758 to Trock; 3,491,249 to Rabinow; 3,740,680 to Schneidinger; 3,889,132 to Vreeland; 3,979,601 to Franklin; 3,985,982 to Schneidinger; 4,021,626 to Becker; 4,259,618 to Nilssen; 4,274,045 to Goldstein; 4,344,000 and 4,354,120, both to Schornack; 4,360,739 to Goldstein; and RE 31,848 to Nilssen.
There are two distinctly different types of such actuators or timers. A first type which is mountable on the outside of an already installed ordinary wall switch, as for instance described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,680 to Schneidinger, provides for means to turn a light ON (or OFF) for a predetermined time interval (and, optionally, after a predetermined time-delay), but does not provide for repetitive ON/OFF actuations. A second type, as for instance described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,618 to Nilssen, does provide for repetitive ON/OFF actuations, but must be wired-in and used in lieu of an ordinary wall switch.